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NASHVILLE — Imagine the emotional gamut Paul Byron has run the last couple of months.

Way back on Feb. 12, Byron was summoned to the Calgary Flames from the AHL Abbotsford Heat.

That golden opportunity came to a crushing halt in the first period of his first game of the season with the Flames, having suffered a fractured bone in his hand after being slashed.

Then another high, the birth of his daughter, Elianna, on March 11.

His hand needed a second surgery, which kept him out of action until mid-April.

Now, though, the roller-coaster is on an upswing, with Byron having been summoned again to the Flames for the final handful of games to round out the season.

“To some degree, it’s worked out,” said Byron, who obviously wishes the injury part of that journey hadn’t happened. “I was happy for the time I got to be there for my daughter, you can’t replace those moments.

“And right now, they’re letting young guys play, they’re giving us an opportunity and I’m excited about that.”

The opportunity for Byron, who has 32 NHL games under his belt, was supposed to be back in February.

Before he had even seen three minutes of ice-time, it was over, and his best guess was a slash from Derek Roy was the culprit.

“I tried watching the video to find it,” Byron said of the cause of his injury. “It looked kinda innocent. I didn’t even know my hand was broken until I was in the training room and they were looking at my eye because I had to get two stitches near the eyelid.

“When I was getting that done, my hand was clicking, and they looked at it. I think it happened the same play as the high stick. He chopped me down and got me on the way up.

“It was definitely disappointing. I was playing with Jarome (Iginla) and Glennie (Curtis Glencross) on a line — a really good opportunity and I was really excited — but those are the bounces. Fortunately for me, I got to be there for the birth of my daughter, and I embraced that moment as much as I could.

“Now I’m up here trying to get the opportunity back again.”

While the Flames play out the string of a fourth consecutive season without playoffs, which resumes Tuesday when they face the Nashville Predators, they’re integrating a slew of young players.

Byron, a pending restricted free agent who was acquired in the trade that sent Robyn Regehr to the Buffalo Sabres almost two years ago, was part of a crew called up when the Heat season came to a close Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

He and five others made their way to Minnesota to meet the NHL club, only knowing they’d get a chance.

Byron was given a big surprise when he got to the arena in Minny.

“I didn’t even know I was playing (Sunday) until noon,” he said. “As soon as we got to the rink, I was getting ready to go on the ice and they told me I didn’t need to skate and I was playing.

“It was a lot of travel, but you always want to play. It’s exciting to get your name called to play in the NHL.”

He was held without a point in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the Wild but saw nearly 15 minutes of ice-time.

How many more games Byron plays with three remaining on the docket is anybody’s guess.

What he does know is it’s a golden chance to be in the NHL

“It always helps when a GM trades for you. It means you’re part of his plans, part of the team. They’re making changes and bringing in youth. Right now, they’re trying to win hockey games and see if guys can play at this level, so it’s definitely a good position to be in.

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Life's been all over the place for Flames' Byron

NASHVILLE — Imagine the emotional gamut Paul Byron has run the last couple of months.

Way back on Feb. 12, Byron was summoned to the Calgary Flames from the AHL Abbotsford Heat.

That golden opportunity came to a crushing halt in the first period of his first game of the season with the Flames, having suffered a fractured bone in his hand after being slashed.

Then another high, the birth of his daughter, Elianna, on March 11.

His hand needed a second surgery, which kept him out of action until mid-April.

Now, though, the roller-coaster is on an upswing, with Byron having been summoned again to the Flames for the final handful of games to round out the season.

“To some degree, it’s worked out,” said Byron, who obviously wishes the injury part of that journey hadn’t happened. “I was happy for the time I got to be there for my daughter, you can’t replace those moments.